India vs England 2021: ECB clarifies that Jonny Bairstow to return after second Test

Jonny Bairstow

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) finally cleared the air for England’s wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow’s participation in the Test matches against India. Bairstow will join the squad only after the second Test against India and not after the first Test as was earlier stated by England batting coach Graham Thorpe.

“To clarify, the plan is still for Jonny Bairstow to return for the third and fourth Test and not the second Test. Along with Sam Curran and Mark Wood,” said the ECB in its statement.

During an interaction with the media on Friday, Thorpe had told that Bairstow would be joining the team after the first Test, which is not the case now.

Root-Bairstow in a match

^{Joe Root (left) and Jonny Bairstow (right).}

England, who had earlier decided to rest Bairstow as per their Rotation policy, will continue with their policy for Bairstow. Reports of his participation in the second match came yesterday after England veterans critiqued the board and its members for not featuring Bairstow him the first two Test against India. The veterans feel that he is pivotal England batsmen after skipper Joe Root.

Bairstow was England’s second-highest run-scorer behind captain Joe Root during their last series in Sri Lanka which they won 2-0. Bairstow had scored 139 runs across four innings in the two-Test series at an average of 46.33.

Also read: India vs England 2021: Jonny Bairstow to join England squad after first Test